SEAL’S Secret Vows

13. Chase

Chapter thirteen

Chase

T he air is thick with anticipation as my team gathers around the table. I had Joseph and Lena join me immediately, anticipating the next line of action.

“Can we listen to the call recording?” Joseph asks, unable to hold himself back.

“In a moment, sir.” Nora replies, not taking her gaze off the screen.

“You mentioned that you picked up some background voices.”

“Yes, I did. You should listen to it.” Nora replies, her attention focused on the screen.

“They are still speaking Dari, right?” She hands me the headphones and plays the audio. I cross my arms tightly across my chest trying to absorb the info.

“Nothing useful, Nora. I did pick up an American accent too, but they didn't give anything away.”

“Can you trace the call?”

“I'm picking up on something.”

The cursor blinks on screen as she traces the location of the voices. “They're here in California, just a few hours away.”

“Can you trace the exact location?” The monitor gives incoherent sounds, and the cursor stops blinking.

“Uh oh, I think we've lost them.”

“Can you listen again? See if they said anything that we can trace them with.”

“If I do that, they'll see us.” Nora replies, hesitant to trace the location again.

“Yes, that's dangerous.” Emma interrupts. “I'll try another approach.” She starts the process all over again, and I'm praying nothing goes wrong. “Hold on, we're in.”

I listen for a few minutes, and I signal for a notepad. Joseph hands me the nearest phone, and just as I pick up, the line goes silent after hearing shallow breathing on the other end. “What's going on?” The room crackles with tension as we stare at each other wondering why they went quiet. I place the telephone back in the receiver, but it rings again and everyone's frozen for a moment before I pick it up. The caller calls me by my name, and proceeds to speak in Dari.

“Are they speaking in Dari? What are they saying?” Nora whispers.

“I'll need you to interpret all foreign languages for us. Run it through the translator and trace it.” Joseph orders.

“Sure, I'll connect to the call,” she whispers back and starts tracing the call. The caller starts to make negotiations in exchange for the hostage, and as I open my mouth to speak, another voice comes through the phone.

“You can't be negotiating with us.” The voice is gruff and straight to the point.

“We need more time.” I try to negotiate, but I get no response. The call disconnects.

The room immediately erupts. Lena starts ordering Emma while Joseph goes to get the commander.

“Nora, we need your expertise on this one. Were you able to trace the call? Was the call long enough” I ask, my eyes fixed on her.

Nora nods, pulling out her laptop and connecting it to the monitor to give us a larger view.

“I was able to trace the call. They're in California.” She taps away at the keyboard, her brow furrowed in concentration. The Californian map appears on the screen, with red dots on a specific building.

“Alright, let's see what we've got,” Nora murmurs to herself, zooming in on a cluster of data points. She traces the connections, her eyes narrowing as she identifies different locations.

“Joseph, Lena, get ready. Nora, look for anything suspicious—any events going on.”

With a few deft keystrokes, she accesses satellite imagery, scanning for things that look out of place.

“Looks like there's a remote cabin in that region,” she announces, pointing to a clearing on the map.

“That looks familiar. It's ours.”

“Okay, I've found something. It's pointing to a location in upstate California, a few miles from here. Are we going there?”

“Yes. Joseph, get the car ready.” Joseph nods and leaves the room immediately.

“But we don't know who we're dealing with yet. It'll be better to just eavesdrop on their plans.”

“That's why you and I are going. Since a call came from that place, that could be their base. If we move to a closer range and that's where that cabin comes in, we can get something, but let's hope they're still there by the time we get there.” I clench my fists, a newfound determination coursing through me to get to the bottom of this.

It’s a blur getting things organized, equipment moved and approvals signed off. The drive is fast, and we don’t say a word to each other.

Thirty-five minutes later, and we arrive at the cabin. Nora places her bag on the table and begins to set up.

“It's a one room cabin.” I explain glancing around the place. “I'm going to change into regular clothing in the bathroom to prevent suspicion.”

“Sure, I'll just do my thing.” She sets up the rest of the equipment and I retreat to the bathroom. I smooth out the creases on the shirt before pairing it with a jacket to try to look as normal as possible.

“I'm heading out now. These people are in the United States, but they’re likely not Americans. When you pick something up, let me know.”

“Are you going alone? I think you should call on your team.”

“Yes. I can handle this on my own. I need you to stay back and tell me if you see anything suspicious. You don't have to worry about me going alone. I'll alert the team if I need back up.”

She nods, and I make my way outside the cabin.

I hit the streets, tracing the lead through the bustling city. Raindrops patter against the windshield, and a chilling sensation creeps over me. Something's wrong .

My phone screen lights up on the passenger seat, and I pick it up placing it between my ear and shoulder.

“It’s a false location. A hoax. Turn back.” Nora urges, her voice filled with concern.

Thunder strikes, and a heavy wind blows as I stop the car abruptly. A storm's coming.

“What? You can't be serious!” I can't believe what I'm hearing. My hand instinctively slams down on the horn in frustration, the sound echoing through the car.

“They were never there. Come back, and I'll explain. It might even be an ambush.” At her last words, I turn the car back to the cabin, driving speedily to beat the rain.

Pulling over in front of the cabin, I head inside. I see Nora facing the laptop. She looks as exasperated as I feel. I plop down on the bed, pulling off my jacket.

“Nora, someone’s playing with me. Someone that knows me well. They know I can’t ignore any chance to save the hostage, and they lured me in. Whoever this person is, they’re pushing it. I can't shake the feeling that…” I trail off, overcome with emotion.

She rises from her chair and joins me on the bed, placing a hand on my shoulder. “We’ll get through this. Calm down. It’s not like you can do anything about it.”

“There has to be something we can do.”

“Not right now there isn’t,” she murmurs, pointing to the window. “It's raining heavily.”

I sigh. “Okay.”

She leans back on a nearby pillow, a flicker of concern in her eyes. “Are you okay?”

Lightning strikes and she jolts on the bed instinctively drawing closer to me. I turn to meet her gaze, and her breath hitches.

“Are you scared of lightning?” I ask smirking, letting out a slow breath, as I attempt to lessen the effect her proximity has on me.

“I’m… I’m not,” she says. “That one was just loud.”

“I see.” She scuttles back and looks elsewhere, her eyes landing on a bottle of water on the table.

“Do you need water?”

“Yes. I’ll grab the bottle.” Thunder strikes again and she startles, slipping on the tiles—but I reach her just in time, grabbing her waist to steady her. She stares at me, eyes darkening with something I can't quite place.

“Thanks, Chase.” She shifts back but my hands tighten around her waist.

“I’m fine. You can let go now,” she says softly, her voice barely a whisper. She swallows nervously and bites her lip, tugging at my hands hesitantly, silently urging me to release my grip.

“Is that what you want? Your lips say one thing, your body says another. I won’t make a move if you don’t want me to.”

She looks away, her eyes darting around as she thinks. I tilt her chin up to meet my gaze, holding it for a moment before leaning close and pressing my lips against her ear. “Are you even attracted to me? Because I am to you.”

In response, she presses forward against me sending sparks through my body. Her chest rises and falls with ragged breathing, and then, with a soft exhale, she places one hand against my chest.

“I think we should focus on the mission. It shouldn’t matter if I am attracted to you. Should it?” Her voice flickers with uncertainty as she bites her lip again.

“There’s a storm.” I say in a low voice. The wind rattles the roof raising goosebumps on her arms.

“Yes, there is.” She trails a finger up my neck, grazing it over my lips. I close my eyes as she leans closer, dropping the bottle on the floor before taking my lips in a fervent kiss.

She hoists herself up onto my waist, kissing me deeply, as her legs wrap around me, her urgency matching mine. With a stroke of my tongue on her neck, she arches her back, squeezing her thighs against me. I push her against the wall muttering incoherent words.

My hands grab her waist tightly pulling her closer. After a moment, we break apart, breathless and consumed by desire for each other. She peels off my top, raising it above my head impatiently.

We tumble into the bed, in a swift motion, I take off her dress, her hand trails over my v-line, and adrenaline shoots through me.

As she nibbles kisses all over my chest, the raging storm outside mirrors the pent-up emotions swirling within me aching for a release. Our bodies melt into one, consumed by the unquenchable passion burning between us. The world around us fades away as we surrender to the longing and need for each other.